Forums at The Military Horse

A reminder that Brian Garfield's book - "The
Meinertzhagen Mystery - The Life & Legend of a Colossal Fraud" was published by Potomac Books in January 30th 2007. ISBN-10 1597970417 ISBN-13: 978-1597970419. It may well finally tell the truth about him? Grant.

I hope somebody will read it and report back.

I've ready Capstick's biography of Meinertzhagen, which I did not care much for. It was quite disappointing, which was partially due to Capstick's writing style.

Pat

I've read that book too. Interesting subject.

Sincerely,

Hobie
"Duty is the rent you pay for life." The Queen Mother
"Do your duty in all things. You can not do more, you should not wish to do less." T. J. Jackson

My order has gone in for the softcover edition of "The Meinertzhagen Mysteries", so hopefully very soon I may be able to say something about it! There is a sizeable excerpt from it on the publisher's website incidentally. It sounds excellent.Grant.

Grant, would you know where to get a copy of the Australian film The Overlanders?

Pat

Pat: Only just saw your request! Will get on it. Grant.

Pat: I'm pretty sure someplace I Do have a VHS copy of the 1946 "The Overlanders". But where? A lot of stuff is stashed away in piled up cartons & there's no listings handy. My library has one, which might be for hearing impaired? I could try that. Currently I'm bedevilled by what may be arthritis & having to get about using a wheeled walker device. My apt is chock a block with stuff, impossible almost to move easily to run a search! Will take a look, but can't promise anything. Grant.

John L. Matthew

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Grant</i>
<br />Pat: I'm pretty sure someplace I Do have a VHS copy of the 1946 "The Overlanders". But where? A lot of stuff is stashed away in piled up cartons & there's no listings handy. My library has one, which might be for hearing impaired? I could try that. Currently I'm bedevilled by what may be arthritis & having to get about using a wheeled walker device. My apt is chock a block with stuff, impossible almost to move easily to run a search! Will take a look, but can't promise anything. Grant.

John L. Matthew
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Grant, thanks, but I think I've bothered you enough on that. If you should happen to learn of where a copy might be available for purchase, I'd appreciate it.

Its a well known film, I believe, in Australia. But like a lot of Australian films, it seems to be hard to acquire here.

Pat

My initial order for a soft cover copy of Brian Garfield's book went astray! Sent to a wrong box number. However I have now sent in for a hardcover copy & hope soon to be able to report on the book. Grant.

Further to Brian Garfield's book, please take a look at www.briangarfield.net/events.htm for several excellent reviews of "The Meinertzhagen Mystery". The same address, but with "works.htm" substituted for "events" leads you to Brian's movies & other books. Grant.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Grant</i>
<br />Further to Brian Garfield's book, please take a look at www.briangarfield.net/events.htm for several excellent reviews of "The Meinertzhagen Mystery". The same address, but with "works.htm" substituted for "events" leads you to Brian's movies & other books. Grant.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Interesting review.

Pat

Pat: Brian's book is absolutely superb! I can even recomend you buy one sight unseen, I guarantee you will like it & find it fascinating. His research is vast & amazing & he had lots of experts helping him too. Re "The Lighthorsemen", sadly he completely scotches Ian Jones' use of Meinertzhagen & the "knapsack ruse". (Anthony Andrews in the film) M had absolutely nothing to do with this, though he claimed it for himself & used the lie all his life, convincing everyone he had done the deed! Nor was the ruse effectve apparently. M's entire life was spent largely in falsifying his accomplishments. Brian Garfield has found out nearly all the lies, errors & false claims involved. But even so the man's life was amazing. History is this case has to be rewritten. Garfield's aim is to try to clear things up, not act like a revisionist. Even his notes are like a secondary book, involving so much "history" & he covers a lot of stuff that never really happened. Even M's supposed ornithological expertise was largely suspect by his stealing specimens & falsifying records. He set rhings back & caused a lot of grief today, with experts trying to redo it all! A fabulous read & a great book! Grant.

Too bad about the knapsack story, I liked that one.

It sound like Meinertzhagen may have been one of those fellows who simply couldn't help making up stories. Somewhere around here I have the book "Print the Legend" about director John Ford. The author of that text basically concluded that about Ford. Ford was a great story teller, which was in part why he was a good director. He knew what made a good story. But he made them up about himself all the time.

Ironically, in spite of his tales about himself, he was truly interesting, and at least as interesting of character as some of the aspects of his made up character. He was not, for example, a Marine early in his life, like he liked to tell people. He was, however, genuinely brave as his WWII Navy role proved. Odd fellow. It's actually difficult for a biographer to separate truth about him from fantasy, given his tales.

Ironically again, he was horrible man to interview. TCM is airing "Directed by John Ford" from time to time now, which features an attempt to interview him in which he's completely difficult to the interviewer.

Pat